This invention generally relates to the art of electrical connectors and, particularly, to an electrical terminal socket for receiving a terminal pin member, along with a method of fabricating the socket.
Generally, electrical connector assemblies typically include a pair of mating connectors, such as a female or receptacle connector and a male or plug connector. The respective connectors mount a plurality of conductive terminals which interengage to establish one or more electrical circuits through the mating connectors. The terminals, for instance, may include a terminal socket in one of the mating connectors for receiving a terminal pin on the other mating connector.
Electrical connectors of the character described above conventionally include dielectric housings which are relatively inexpensively molded of plastic material or the like. The terminals, on the other hand, typically are fabricated of conductive metal material and comprise the bulk of the expense in manufacturing such connectors. For instance, pin and socket terminals may be stamped and formed from conductive sheet metal material which, in addition, may or may not be plated with highly conductive precious metal. The terminals are fabricated by stamping a xe2x80x9cblankxe2x80x9d out of the sheet metal material, the flat blank including all of the elements of the terminal. The stamped blank then is formed, as by folding, into the ultimate shape or configuration of the terminal. A terminal socket may include quite a number of elements, such as a plurality of walls which form the socket, along with contact spring fingers which engage the mating terminal pin, as well as terminating sections such as crimp arms or the like. All of these elements must be included in the flat blank which is stamped from a single sheet of conductive metal material. Problems continuously are encountered in designing an electrical terminal socket which includes all of the necessary mechanical and electrical elements thereof, but which is capable of being efficiently stamped from the sheet metal material without wasting considerable material about the stamped blank from which the terminal socket is formed. The present invention is directed to solving this problem by providing an electrical terminal socket which may be stamped and formed from a single sheet of conductive metal material in an efficient or metal saving design.
An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide a new and improved electrical terminal socket of the character described, for receiving a terminal pin member. The terminal socket is stamped and formed from a single sheet of conductive metal material.
Another object is to provide a new and improved method of fabricating the terminal socket.
In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the terminal socket includes a base wall and a pair of side walls folded upwardly from opposite sides of the base wall. A top wall is folded inwardly from the top of one of the side walls, whereby the base wall, side walls and top wall define a socket with an opening at a front end thereof for receiving the terminal pin member. A terminating section extends from the base wall at a rear end of the socket. A spring arm is folded downwardly from a rear end of the top wall into the socket. The spring arm is tapered from a wide end thereof joined to the top wall to a narrow free end thereof which does not interfere with the terminating section during stamping and forming of the electrical terminal socket.
As disclosed herein, the spring arm comprises a first spring arm, and a second spring arm is folded downwardly from a front end of the top wall into the socket. The second spring arm includes a free end engageable with the terminal pin member inserted into the socket. The narrow free end of the first spring arm is located behind the free end of the second spring arm to provide spring backup therefore.
According to another aspect of the invention, the top wall comprises a first top wall, and including a second top wall folded inwardly from the top of the other of the side walls. The second top wall is folded over the top of the first top wall to provide rigid backing support therefore.
The terminating section of the terminal socket comprises a crimping section for clamping onto an appropriate electrical conductor. The crimping section includes at least one crimp arm extending laterally outwardly relative to the socket at a side thereof coincident with the one side from which the top wall is folded.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.